Improvement in music-holder and leaf-turner



E. F. KENNEDY. Music-Holder and Leaf-Turner.

No. 217,880. Patented July 29,1879.

n Zotivil I HHHHH MPETERS, PHOTOMTHOGRAPHEQ WASHINGTON. D c,

UNITED STATES EBENEZER F. KENNEDY, OF

PATENT OEEIoE OIL CITY, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN MUSlC-HOLDER AND LEAF-TURNER.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 217,880, dated July 29, 1879 application filed December E), 1873.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that .l, EBENEZER F. KENNEDY, of Oil City, in the county of Venango, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Music-Holder and Leaf-Turner, of which the following is a specification. 7

The subject of my invention is a book and sheet-music holder provided with a leaf-turner, projecting downward over the keys of the instrument in position to be readily operated by the finger ot' the performer, the turning-arms being formed of wires, with elbows of different lengths to permit the superposed wires to be turned successively and independently, and being confined one over the other by means of clips, within which their central parts or shafts turn, and having cranks connected to spiral springs, so that when the extremity of the arm of said crank is touched the spring will complete the turning of the leaf.

The turning apparatus is attached to a bookholder provided with an elastic cord, by which sheet-music may be held in position to be manipulated by the turner.

In order that the invention maybe fully understood. I will proceed to describe it by reference to the accompanyingdrawings, inwhich- Fig. 1 a "front view of the apparatus. Fig. 2 is a front view of the leaf-turner, with its casin g removed. Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line 3 5, Figs. 1 and 2, omitting a portion of the length of the book-holder and showing the turning-arms in reversed position.

The leat-turners consist of loops Gr, each provided with a central wire or tongue, 1, mounted on the extremity of an arm, Y, which is bent at right angles at H, and laid longitudinally on the center of a bed-plate, K, where the central parts or shafts, X, of the assembled wires are confined by clips A A A A as shown. The elbows ll of the wires Y project to sue cessively greater lengths from the. top to the bottom of the series, so that the superposed wires may be turned successively and independently without any interference one with the other. The lower ends of the wire shafts X also extend to successively greater lengths and are bent to form cranks F, with extended arms Z, parallel with the corresponding turning-arms Y.

The arms Z are provided with knobs or balls E, to which the fingers of the performer are applied in turning the leaves.

(3 are spiral springs, attached by wires 0 to the cranks F, and confined by cross-bars or wires 1) within the holes L in the bed-plate K. The front casing, I, is formed with a central longitudinal protuberance, in which are transverse slots J, in which the arms Z work.

This leaf-turning apparatus is fixed to a hook-holder, P, by means of screws or otherwise, said book-holder being provided with an elastic cord, Q, to be passed up in the center of the open book or sheet-music and through a notch, 12, the end of the cord being provided with a hook, u, for attachment at any convenient point.

In practice, the book or sheet of music is placed on the book-holder; the leaves to be turned are placed in succession between the loops G and rods g. hen it is desired to turn a leaf a slight upward pressure of the linger under the correspondingknob E slightly raises its arm Z until the drawing of the spring on the crank F throws the arm Z completely over and turns the leaf. The same operation is gone through with for each of the succeedingleaves, the superposed positions ofthe loops G- and wires X Y and the gradnations of their elbows H causing them to work over one another with perfect freedom.

The lower part of the apparatus in which the rods Z work projects over the keys of the instrument in convenient proximity to the performers hand, so that the turning may be of fected with great ease and promptness.

The apparatus may be applied to a piano or organ in the place where the music is ordinw rily set, no special construction of the case of the instrument being necessary to adapt it to the lea'f-turnin g apparatus.

Having thus described my invention, the following is what I claim as new therein and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. The wires X, provided with arms Z and Y and loops G, to effect the turning of the leaves in the manner described.

2. The wires X, with arms Y, placed one above another, and confined by clips A A A A in the manner and for the purposes described.

3. The wires X, formed with graduated elbows H, projecting one beyond the other, and adapted to fold Over each other and to permit the successive and independent turning of the superposed wires in the manner explained.

' 4. Thecombination of the wires X with arms Y and Z, cranks'F, springs O, and connecting-- 7. The combination of the holder P and cord Q with a leaf-turner, having the loops G g and arms X Y Z, arranged and operated substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

8. A leaf-turner having the wires X, having arms Y and Z, loops or arms G 9, clips A A A A plate K, and slotted casing I, saidplate and casing and the mechanism for'operating the bent arms Y and loops G g projecting downward below the music-holder, so. as to occupy a position over the keys of the instrument, substantially as shown and described.

EBENEZER F. KENNEDY.

Witnesses:

'lHos. MALCOLMSON, BENJAMIN FAUST. 

